Sorraia Breed Origin

The name of this equine race is due to the fact that it was recovered from a nucleus of animals found in Coruche region in the valley of the River Sorraia. Throughout the corresponding region on the banks of this river (and its tributaries, Sor and Raia), focusing particularly between Benavente and Mora, it was common to find, in the decades of twenty to forty, eguadas fairly homogenous consist of this kind of horse, small size and poor conformation, heavily veined, coat mouse or pen.The animals of this breed are commonly called Sorraias. It admits that in the past have been known to zebros. In Spain correspond to Marismeños to have existed in the Guadalquivir marshes.The Sorraia horse can generally be defined as a race of horses of small stature, eumétricos, mesomorph and subconvexilíneos as that of a miniature of the Lusitano horse it were. The coat is characteristically brown or mouse bay with mule list and more or less evidence zebruras in the head and limbs. Animals are extremely resistant to harsh environmental conditions in which ever were created, taking advantage of stubble grazing in poor lime land. These features denounce that this is a type of primitive horse.This primitive race will be the direct cause of horse races in the southern region of the Iberian Peninsula, the largest selection fruit and improvement, both Thoroughbred-Lusitano as Pura-Raza-Española, as well as horse breeds in South America ( in particular the Argentine Creole and Brazilian), animal descendants coming from the Guadalquivir Valley. His relationship with the Mustang in North America, although evident, may be the result of the influence that the Iberian horses generally had the existing horses that continent.Animals corresponding to the morphological type which currently corresponds to the horse Sorraia - convex and zebrados profile - often are depicted in Paleolithic paintings of southern Iberia, denouncing the ancestral characteristics of this breed. It is thought therefore that is the kind of primitive Iberian horse hot southern region and is indicated as one of four types ancestors of present domestic breeds. It was certainly tamed and checked the fire since ancient times, by the similarity of the latest brands to the drawings found in the neo and Paleolithic caves.The selection and breeding of this primitive type have originated the Iberian Saddle Horse (which includes the Thoroughbred Lusitano breeds-and-Pura Raza Española-) and on the influence of these, the vast majority of the world saddle horse races.Recovery from this primitive horse type, currently known as the Horse Sorraia, is due to the hipólogo Dr. Ruy d'Andrade in 1920, while hunting snipe the outskirts of the valley of the River Sorraia, near Coruche, he noticed a herd belonging to Mr. António Anselmo, where distinguished about 20 extremely homogeneous animals, bay or mouse coat with lists of mule and zebruras of acarneirada head, dark edges and overall look and absolutely primitive character. These characteristics led him to admit that it was a wild way, residue of pre-historic horse of Iberia, there kept by the poverty of the region, with little chance of intersections occur with other types of most select horses. In fact, the weak management that the horses were subject to these regions caused only indigenous animals, the most primitive and perfectly adapted to the roughness could survive conditions.The death of the herd owner is split off, and Dr. Ruy d'Andrade made every effort to gather a significant number of animals of the kind seen in that herd. Managed to get seven mares and 3 males of the same type but different farmers, some separated from the previous by the river Tagus. It was this core of animals (Table 1), installed since 1937 in the Herdade da Agolada (Coruche), Dr. Ruy d'Andrade appointed by horse Sorraia, and whose offspring is the actual current of this race. In 1948 an Argentine origin player was acquired, today represented in all living animals, although in low proportion (about 11%). It must be considered another unknown founder since the Azambuja pregnant mare was in knowing the identity of the product born parent.

List of animals purchased for founders of Sorraia Horse

NAme

Sex

COAT HAIR

Local BREEDER

CIGANA

F

BAIA

COUÇO

GAIVOTA

F

RATO

CASA ALBERTO CUNHAL PATRÍCIO - CONDE

POMBA (PINTASSILGA)

F

RATO

CASA ALBERTO CUNHAL PATRÍCIO - CONDE

GARRANA (TOLOSA)

F

BAIA

TOLOSA

AZAMBUJA

F

RATO

LIMA MONTEIRO - AZAMBUJA

FREIRE

F

BAIA

CASA FREIRE - SALVATERRA DE MAGOS

ANSELMA

F

BAIA

ANTÓNIO ANSELMO - CORUCHE

CUNHAL

M

RATO

CASA ALBERTO CUNHAL PATRÍCIO - CORUCHE

RAPOSO

M

RATO

TELES BRANCO - CORUCHE

BAIO

M

BAIA

MONTEMOR-O-NOVO

TATA DIOS CARDAL

M

BAIA

EMILIO SOLANET - ARGENTINA

From one point the animals were marked to fire in the right thigh with iron and a number in the right shoulder. In 1975, under the national political situation of the moment, eguada was given the charge of the Stud Farm of Alter where, after some time, moved to the estate of Font'Alva (Elvas) and has thus been returned to former owners. The Alter Stud Farm were four foals, two males and two females, giving rise to a subpopulation of race, held since then about herself and under state supervision.

In 1976 they have been sold to Germany, by Prof. creator Schäfer, 3 females (one bay and two rats) and 3 males (two bays and a mouse). These animals have led to a sub-population of the Sorraia horse in Germany (Munich), who lived on itself until the very recent past (1997), when some breeders got other examples in Portugal. In 1985 they were also sold 4 females to creator Dr. Manuel Abecassis, originating from a third core in Portugal. The population of Font'Alva Homestead came to be divided among the members of the Andrade family after the death of Eng. Fernando Sommer d'Andrade, keeping the core of most effective at origin.